Ryan Carter likely to make Wild debut Thursday; A look at the Wild's lines

Newly-signed Wild forward Ryan Carter arrived in the Twin Cities from Newark at around midnight last night and was on the ice with his new team, the Wild, for its 10 a.m. practice today.

Carter played on the fourth line with Jason Zucker and Kyle Brodziak and is expected to make his Wild debut Thursday night when the season opens against the Colorado Avalanche. He'll wear No. 18.

Good afternoon from Xcel Energy Center.

I meant to put this on yesterday's blog, but if you want to refresh your memory, here are some features I have written in the past on defensemen Christian Folin and Matt Dumba, who is expected to be the Wild's third pair against the Avs on Thursday (8 p.m. game). Both are pretty good profiles, the Folin one coming before his NHL debut last season and the Dumba one coming the night he was drafted two years ago.

Today's lines:

Forwards

Parise-Granlund-Pominville

Niederreiter-Haula-Coyle

Zucker-Brodziak-Carter

Extra: Bickel, Fontaine (practicing; looks like he'll miss the opener for precautionary reasons due to glute injury).

Defense

Suter-Brodin

Dumba-Folin

Extras: Ballard, Prosser

Goalies

Backstrom

Kuemper

To start things, he wants Cooke with Vanek and Koivu because Cooke has speed, goes in straight lines, hounds pucks, can recover pucks for those guys and can go to the net. Basically, play a simple game and do the work.

Yeo really likes the idea of Coyle and Niederreiter together on the same line – two big bodies with the speed element of Haula. "We're interested as much as anything to see how that line goes out."

Added Yeo, "However you want to call it, our first, second or third line, I want them all pushing each other. There's no reason why our so called third line, why they can't be our best line on a particular night. Likewise with our second and first lines."

-- Again, 100% guess, but I think Backstrom starts the opener, but again, just a total guess. Just putting myself in the position of the coaches: It's the home opener. Both goalies looked good in the preseason. Backstrom looks quick and healthy and pain-free. And he's the vet, the all-time leader in wins. The goal is Backstrom can resurrect himself this season, so I think they reward him with the hope opener.

I don't think there's a wrong decision though.

In Wednesday's Star Tribune, I'm writing a story on Matt Cooke, who is playing Colorado in the first two games of the season for the first time since his seven-game suspension for kneeing Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie. Cooke is also the Wild's second-line left wing in practice this week.

I'm also leading my notebook on Kyle Brodziak and his thoughts going into a big year of his career. He is in the last year of his contract and coming off two downs years (two years ago offensively and defensively, last year mostly offensively).

Also, my NHL predictions are in Wednesday's paper. What's your opinion as to where I should put the Wild?

-- Carter looked good today.

Yeo said, "I saw a lot of things that we're hoping to see from him in games. Was able to pick up systems quickly, showed that he's a good defensive and physical player. I liked what he was showing on the penalty kill and once we get into game time, I'm expecting him to bring some good energy too."

Zach Parise, Carter's pal, is excited to have him back as a teammate.

"He was awesome during that playoff run we had," Parise said. "Really competitive guy. Plays hard, plays gritty, the type of player you need to have in your bottom-six forwards. He's good on the PK. Just a responsible, solid all-around player.

"He's the type of player that sometimes when games are dull, your team's flat and you need a momentum shift, he's the type of guy who can give you a spark. He's going to fit in really well for what we need."

-- Forwards Cody Almond and Stephane Veilleux cleared waivers and were assigned to AHL Iowa. Almond told me he would take a day to decide whether to report to Iowa or return to his team in Switzerland.

If he chooses to leave, the Wild can either assign him to Geneva with the ability to recall him or place him on unconditional waivers.

Parise-Granlund-Pominville-Dumba-Suter and Niederreiter-Koivu-Vanek-Spurgeon-Brodin with Folin and Coyle interchanging in both.

"What's our second unit? What's our first unit?" Yeo said. "That's my message to our guys right now. Every goal we scored in the preseason, it was a different combination of guys out there. There's no question we have more parts, more competition, but that's what makes us a better team."

So Yeo expects the units to be fluid with different combinations.